Washington State University Athletics
Nathan Choate Signs Contract Extension Through 2031
June 15, 2026 | Baseball
PULLMAN, Wash. (June 15, 2026) – Washington State Head Baseball Coach Nathan Choate signed a three-year contract extension through the 2031 season, WSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow announced Monday.
This past season, Choate guided the Cougars to a 2026 Mountain West Conference Championship and the program's first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since 2010. Washington State finished the season with a 31-28 record, the most wins since the 2010 season, including WSU's first conference championship since 1976. In the classroom, WSU set a program record with a 3.45 team GPA in the 2025 fall semester, notched a 3.39 team GPA this past spring and had five Academic All-District selections.
"I could not be more excited about Coach Choate leading our baseball program well into the future," Haarlow said. "It has been incredible to watch him reestablish Cougar baseball on a national level, focusing on culture and development both in the classroom and on the field. Coach Choate makes everyone around him better and I'm thrilled for him to lead us in the new Pac-12."
"Thank you to President Cantwell and Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow for their continued belief in the direction of our baseball program," Choate said. "We look forward to the launch of the Pac-12 and building on this season's success."
WSU posted an opening-day win at eventual College World Series participant Alabama, beat seventh-ranked Oregon State twice during the season including in the opening game of the Eugene NCAA Regional. The Cougars posted seven series wins for the first time since 2017, had six-straight series wins for the first time since 1995 and posted 18 road wins, the second-most road wins since 2000. The Cougars earned the Mountain West Conference Tournament two seed after earning 15 conference wins during the regular season, the most conference wins since 2010.
Choate, who just finished his third season at WSU, saw five players earn All-Mountain West Conference honors led by Conference Pitcher of the Year Nick Lewis, WSU's first conference pitcher of the year in program history, and Lewis later earned All-Region honors, the Cougars first All-Region pitcher since 1993.
WSU rewrote the record book throughout the 2026 season; Max Hartman set the WSU single-season record with eight triples, Gavin Roy set the WSU record with a 44-game on-base streak, Lewis was the first 10-game winner since 2000, redshirt-freshman Matt Priest posted the second-best batting average by a Cougar freshman (.362), Trevor Smith tied for the third-most doubles by a Cougar freshman (16), WSU tallied the fifth-most doubles (129) in program history, and set a program-record with 115 hit-by-pitches.
This past season, Choate guided the Cougars to a 2026 Mountain West Conference Championship and the program's first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since 2010. Washington State finished the season with a 31-28 record, the most wins since the 2010 season, including WSU's first conference championship since 1976. In the classroom, WSU set a program record with a 3.45 team GPA in the 2025 fall semester, notched a 3.39 team GPA this past spring and had five Academic All-District selections.
"I could not be more excited about Coach Choate leading our baseball program well into the future," Haarlow said. "It has been incredible to watch him reestablish Cougar baseball on a national level, focusing on culture and development both in the classroom and on the field. Coach Choate makes everyone around him better and I'm thrilled for him to lead us in the new Pac-12."
"Thank you to President Cantwell and Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow for their continued belief in the direction of our baseball program," Choate said. "We look forward to the launch of the Pac-12 and building on this season's success."
WSU posted an opening-day win at eventual College World Series participant Alabama, beat seventh-ranked Oregon State twice during the season including in the opening game of the Eugene NCAA Regional. The Cougars posted seven series wins for the first time since 2017, had six-straight series wins for the first time since 1995 and posted 18 road wins, the second-most road wins since 2000. The Cougars earned the Mountain West Conference Tournament two seed after earning 15 conference wins during the regular season, the most conference wins since 2010.
Choate, who just finished his third season at WSU, saw five players earn All-Mountain West Conference honors led by Conference Pitcher of the Year Nick Lewis, WSU's first conference pitcher of the year in program history, and Lewis later earned All-Region honors, the Cougars first All-Region pitcher since 1993.
WSU rewrote the record book throughout the 2026 season; Max Hartman set the WSU single-season record with eight triples, Gavin Roy set the WSU record with a 44-game on-base streak, Lewis was the first 10-game winner since 2000, redshirt-freshman Matt Priest posted the second-best batting average by a Cougar freshman (.362), Trevor Smith tied for the third-most doubles by a Cougar freshman (16), WSU tallied the fifth-most doubles (129) in program history, and set a program-record with 115 hit-by-pitches.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
MIF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballTuesday, June 09
Monday, June 01
Sunday, May 31
Saturday, May 30
